Case Study: Lemonade Sawtelle

Our friends at Lemonade have been keeping us busy with new locations across southern California. We're thrilled to announce that this month will see the opening of a Lemonade restaurant on Sawtelle Boulevard in West LA. We can't wait to see how Lemonade grows into Sawtelle's already bustling culinary scene.

The long, narrow space presented a design challenge for our studio. At such a small scale (under 1,000 square feet), we needed to make every gesture count. We were inspired by the A-frame, a common small-scale structure, which led us to explore how two folded planes could intersect within a space. As we applied Lemonade's inviting material palette, the design began to take shape. The wooden slats and metal panels curve to create a single surface from wall to ceiling, blending the boundaries of the space. The end result is a modern reinterpretation of the A-frame.

At Ilan Dei Studio, we believe art has the power to convey brand identity. At Lemonade Sawtelle, we built a lot of intelligence into the artwork panels that patrons see as they enter the restaurant. The large-scale, laser-cut aluminum panels have integrated lighting and install seamlessly into the curved metal wall system. We think this gives the space a modern edge that contrasts nicely with the warm wood tones on the opposite wall.

The new location will open before the end of the month, and we couldn't be more excited!